ParentABLE started as a student-driven initiative at Evanston Township High school in Illinois. A group of students from the C.A.R.E Club (Child Abuse Recognition Evanston) advocated for parenting and caregiving education to be included in the wellness course required for graduation, and they succeeded. Their efforts led to constituent legislation that is piloting parenting education in high schools throughout the state of Illinois. The ParentABLE parenting/caregiver unit provides high school students with awareness, knowledge, and skills to care for and encourage the physical, mental and emotional development of children.
ParenTeach trains high school educators how to deliver ParentABLE’s ten- day Positive Parenting and Caregiving curriculum to their students, helping them develop a foundational understanding of positive parenting and caregiving practices. The ParentABLE curriculum includes information about the effects of unintentional harmful parenting, the consequences of adverse childhood experiences, along with the power of resilience and positive parenting and caregiving . The 10-day course aims to reduce child abuse and neglect rates, break the cycle of unintentional harmful parenting, create a level of comfort with seeking future parenting and caregiving resources and support, and increase students’ Social Emotional Learning Competencies. ParentABLE is a web-based curriculum that includes, PowerPoint presentations, videos, interactive exercises, quizzes with feedback, note assists, and handouts. ParenTeach also provides access to a teacher’s guide for all teachers.
